Collision

by Kelvin Templeton

It’s 1975, and in the western suburbs of Melbourne, 20-year-old Joshua ‘Clover’ Shamrock is a goal-kicking sensation for the Bulldogs footy club.

The game of Aussie rules has always come naturally to him. Then, his career comes to an early and tragic end. Shamrock’s self-worth has been tied to his status as a star sportsman, and with his career over, he now finds himself ill-prepared for life after football.

As the years go by, an increasingly reclusive Shamrock nears rock bottom with only his loyal partner Justine to prop him up. But even she has her limits. And when a journalist who is planning to write a feature article on the fallen hero comes snooping, bearing dark secrets from Shamrock’s past, the former star must face the toughest opponent of all—himself.

In doing so, he finds a strength he never knew he had and a craft that could finally help him rebuild his life.

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Rowan MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t see Kelvin Templeton play football but always had immense respect for him. Growing up, his name was on a commemorate glass I owned which showcased Brownlow Medalists from my team, the Bulldogs.

I was intrigued when I learned Kelvin had written a book. A typical sports memoir? Nope! He dived headfirst into the world of fiction and wrote a novel instead.

This was a distinctively Australian story. Told in two parts, it quickly drew me in. I loved the 1970s and 1980s settings – clearly written by someone who lived it. It was like jumping in a time machine to a different era, yet touched on themes relevant today.

The story follows Joshua ‘Clover’ Shamrock – a young goal-kicking sensation for the Bulldogs. Raised by foster parents after the death of his mother, his career is going from strength to strength. And then something happens that shifts his entire life trajectory.

“It was incomprehensible to him that this could happen, that the whole course of someone’s life could turn on such a brief, single event.”

Kelvin writes with authority and confidence. You feel like you’re in footy change rooms alongside the players. It was immersive. I felt the crunching plays and was transported into the mind and broken body of a young footballer. I’m curious how much the author injected himself into the story.

I loved the attention to detail – it created authenticity. Player names often made me smile or laugh – Mopsy Cleaver, Maurie Miller. I thought the latter sounded like former Dogs captain, Laurie Sandilands. The book also has an excellent 'soundtrack.'

Part two had a different vibe – but that helped set it apart from other football stories. I wasn’t a fan of journalist character, Slater, though his inclusion helped push Joshua’s arc forward, slowly unveiling more about his background.

“When he dared think about his future, his mood swung from fear to hope, and back to fear again.”

I enjoyed the parallels between restoring furniture and Joshua attempting to restore a sense of purpose. Kelvin writes with considerable insight into men’s mental health. I was pleasantly surprised to see my home state of Tasmania featured too.

It has an ending that lingers – you can’t help asking questions. Kelvin allows the reader to ponder what might happen next and the various directions that lives could take.

Collision touches on identity and resilience. It’s an exploration on masculinity and its place within Australian culture, a story about harnessing the courage to face harsh realities and our individual truths. It’s a debut with a lot of heart. I look forward to more from Kelvin in future.

Many thanks to Wilkinson Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I didn't think I was in the target audience for this book, I gave it a go based on what I know about the author. I thought at the very least, it would be well researched; it's a book about an Australian Football League player in the 70's, written by a man who was an Australian Football League player in the 70's. To my surprise, it was so much more!
A debut novel written by an obviously intelligent and well read man, there were so many facets to the story. A somewhat sad back story with just the right amount of foreshadowing. Setting and character development that made you feel like you too lived in Melbourne and its country surrounds in the 70's. A bit of a glance inside what was a very violent sport back then, the players who loved it and the women who loved them. Enough suspense to keep you guessing, and a satisfying ending. What more can you ask for?

[Nikki Taylor]

Kevin Templeton’s debut novel, Collision, transports readers to Melbourne during the 1970s and 1980s and into the world of 20-year-old Joshua Shamrock, whose life revolves around football, sex and booze. Raised in a foster family after the death of his mother, he has never known his biological father. Aussie Rules football is his passion, his identity, and the one thing he feels defines him. But footy during this time is a brutal game, and his career is cut short by an injury. With his dream destroyed, Joshua spirals as he loses the only purpose he has ever known. As the years pass, he withdraws further into himself, until the departure of his partner, Justine, and the arrival of a persistent journalist force him to confront his past. At this crossroads, Joshua must decide whether to face his shame and vulnerability or risk losing everything. Templeton writes with authority as a former AFL player whose career was shaped by the physical demands and culture of the game. He captures the rawness of a period in which toughness was demanded on and off the field. The novel explores themes of resilience, fear, masculinity and healing while evoking nostalgia for the era. Collision is a thought-provoking story with an ending that lingers and suggests some truths are as painful as they are necessary to confront. It will appeal to readers who enjoy Mark Brandi’s writing and Brendan Cowell’s Plum.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

A general fiction story, Collision (2025) by Kelvin Templeton, is set in 1975, with a young footballer. Playing for Footscray in the VFL, twenty-year-old Joshua Shamrock kicks seven goals and announces himself as a potential star of the game. Yet when an on-field collision ends his career, Joshua must learn to cope with the loss of his identity and worth. Whilst a small general fiction novel with its Aussie Rules basis, it surprisingly lacks substantive graphic football description. This is an oddity given Kelvin Templeton’s own stellar football career. It has a jumpy narrative that moves clumsily back and forth in time, lacking sufficient descriptive depth, and is really a series of small vignettes. Overall, it’s a disappointing read that lacks substance and character profundity, ultimately failing to capture the reader's interest, making for a two star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book that, although written by a football player about a football player, was more about self worth, broken dreams and re-building.